Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Lucky for you on May 15th there will be a special one-day only series of Sci Pop
Talks! held in Jorgensen Hall during the STEM Expo
proceeding the National Science Olympiad. All talks are FREE and open to the
general public. The schedule for that day is as follows:

We
kick-off with an introduction to nanoscience and Feynman’s vision of
nanotechnology. We will see today’s capabilities in fabrication of
nanostructures and look at the tools making nanostructures visible and allow
investigating their properties which enables some of the cutting-edge research
done at UNL. We also look at the breathtaking prospects of future
nanotechnology. We explore why the nanoworld is so exciting and introduce the
concept of matter waves. A standing acoustic wave made visible by flames which
dance to the sweet sound of an electric guitar illustrates this central concept
of modern quantum mechanics.

Did a Giant Asteroid Kill the Dinosaurs? Greg Snow, UNL

One of Snow's hobbies is learning
about the extinction of the dinosaurs and other mass extinctions in the history
of the earth. Together we will examine the theory that an asteroid or comet the
size of Mt. Everest struck Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula 65 million year ago,
creating a dust cloud that altered the earth's climate and killed the dinosaurs
and 70 percent of all other living species. We'll also review other dinosaur
extinction theories, which range from believable to preposterous, as put forth
in the lively scientific debate surrounding their demise.

Forensic Science: Fact or Fiction, Ashley Hall, UNL

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
NCIS. The New Detectives. Forensic science is a staple in many
popular shows, but do they get it right? Not all the time, but if you
look deeper than the flashy staging and witty dialogue, you can learn a good
deal about the scientific principles that form the framework of forensic
investigation.

Comic Book Physics 101: Lesson 1: The Origin of Superman and
Clues to the Planet Krypton, Dan Claes, UNL

Join us as we explore the physics of
Superman, his superpowers, and significant events in his history. We will explore
the questions: How does Superman fly? What is source of his strength? What can
we deduce about his native planet, Krypton?

Nanoscale Science and Technology, Steve Ducharme, UNL

Come learn about recent trends in
nano-science and nano-technology, with an emphasis on innovations in materials
science, electronics and optics. The talk will include demonstrations of:
fluorescing quantum dots showing the quantum confinement energy effect;
Buckyball models; and Nanogold.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Attention students and staff, power will be turned off, in
Love Library North and the Link on Saturday, April 25th, due to the
construction of the Learning Commons.

The doors to the Link will be closed and any material in the
Link or Love North will be unavailable to check out that day. The door to the lower level hallway will be closed. Media and the second floor ASKUs desk will be closed. All computers will be off because of the lack of power.

If you need to check anything out, please do so on Friday as
you will not be able to on Saturday.We
apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.